Amalgamator for gold saving



No. ("4,975. Patented Nov. 29, I898. L. C. PA'RK. AMALGAMATOR FOR GOLD SAVING.

(Application filed Feb. 1, 1597.- Beneweil Sept. 1a, 1898.\

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

No. 6l4,975. Patented Nov. 29, I898.

L. C. PARK.

AMALGAMATOR FOR GOLD SAVING. (Application filed Feb. 1', 1857. Renewed Sept. 13, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 SQets-Sheet 2.

'IIIII" I y 2 z Q Q m 11 776%55'565: Ira era??? i 04w 6. 0M MMM y mm UNITED TATES LOUIS C. PARK, OF VANCOUVER, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO \VILLIAM \V. SLATER AND JAMES GALLOVAY, JR., OF EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND.

AMALGAMATOR FOR GOLD-SAVING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,975, dated November 29, 1898.

Application filed February 1, 1897. Renewed September 13, 1898. Serial N- 690,891. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS C. PARK, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, have invented a new and useful Amalgamator for Gold-Saving, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to improvements in an apparatus for amalgamation whose chief element employed is gravity; and its principal objects are, first, to provide an apparatus for gold-saving that the mercury cannot easily escape from during the process of intermingling with the auriferous matters on their Way through the machine, and, second, to assist in the general process of dissolution and amalgamation by applying heated steam to a chamber covering the lower part of the ma chine. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows an exterior plan view of my machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical intersection of a side elevation showing the internal mechanism, taken at lin 2 2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the same, taken at line 1 l of Fig. 2. Fig. l is an enlarged cross-section of one of the shafts carrying the agit tor-conveyers, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged sec ional detail of the journal-boxes in which the above mentioned shafts turn.

Similar figures refer to similar throughout the several views.

The casting is flat in form, with rounded fluted grooves on its bottom, as 10", and at the intersection of the horizontal portion with the sloping part the fluted grooves terminate in a well 10 and the said sloping part is securely fixed to a further extension 11 by the bolts 11. The opening through the chambers 10 and 11 terminates in a depending apron 11 the object of which will presently appear. A cap-piece 12 is fixed to the chamber 11 by bolts 12, and this cap is provided with bossed apertures 29 to receive the shafts 19, and on either side of the well 10" are arranged suitable bearings to receive the approachin g ends of the shafts carrying the agitator-conveyors 2d and 24., (see Figs. 2, 3, and 5,) and the opposite ends of the shafts 19 are reduced and rest within the sockets 15 in the parts inserted end or cap piece 13, which is secured at its upper side by bolts to the vertical chamber 16 and on its lower side by bolts 13' to a depending flange on the casting 10. On the upper side of the casting 10 is a large opening, which is covered by a plate 14 and secured by bolts 14. The horizontal portion of this plate 14 depends below its support on the projecting rims of the casting 10, and at its point of angle above the connections of the shafts 19 is a depending portion 14", the object of which will be shown hereinafter.

As shown in Fig. 2, the vertical portion of the chamber 16 is provided with a deflection 17, which places the vertical part of the upper portion from perpendicular with the lower part, and at its top it is funnel-mouthed, as 18, to receive the anriferous matters more conveniently. The crook 17 is to prevent the fraudulent extraction of the mercury from the horizontal chamber.

As shown, the plane of the funnel 18 is much higher than that of the apron 11 in the chamber 11 for the purpose of forcing by gravity the auriferous matters from the horizontal chamber 10 of the machine and up the sloping chamber 11. This is assisted by the agitatorconveyers 24 and 24, which are secured on the series of shafts 19 and 19 The said agitators are rectangularin form and are secured to the said shafts by a pin 25 through each, and on their angles and plane sides are arranged the conveyer-wings 26. (See Fig. 4.) Between the bearings 20 the shafts carrying the agitator-conveyors are connected together by knuckle-joints 27. These flexible joints 27 have the effect that when motion is imparted to the shafts 19 the horizontal series of shafts with their agitators will be revolved without undue friction or the danger of clogging, as would be the case with friction or cog gearing.

As shown in Fig. 1, the projecting ends of the shafts 19 are all connected together by a series of gear-wheels 30, which mesh with each other, there being two sets of three, and the center of each set is provided with miter-gears 30, to which motive power is imparted by the bevel-spur 33 on the shaft 32, which has suitable bearings on the pillars 31.

It will be seen from the foregoing that when power is imparted to the wheel 3i or the crankshaft 35 on the shaft 32 by reason of the spurwheels on the drive-shaft and the shafts 19 the agitators thereon will be propelled, meeting and receding in pairs, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 3.

36 indicates a fluted tray for concentrating any particles of mercury that may escape from the machine during the operation, the said tray being loosely suspended beneath the apron 11 by hangers 38 and cables 39 on either side thereof, and by reason of the arms 37,which have their ends eccentrically m ounted at opposite radii on the shaft 32, as the said shaft revolves the arms will reciprocate and thus cause intense "ibratory motion to the said fluted tray 36, and causing all the particles of mercury to become detached from the sand and deposited in the grooves of the tray, from where it will be deposited into the trough 40, whose bottom is mercury-tight. In this trough 40 is arranged a finely-perforated pipe a1, which when supplied by water from the pipe 42 a constant agitation is effected by the sprays from the perforations, and thus causing the sand to flow away with the water; but the mercury by reason of its extreme gravity will settle to the bottom and can be used again.

43 is a steam-pipe which supplies steam to within the jacket 44. This steam-jacket 44 covers the entire bottom and sides of the hori zontal portion of the machine and is bolted to the depending flanges and sides of the casting 10. (See Figs. 2 and 3.)

In operating my machine sufficient mercury is poured into the vertical chamber 16 to fill the horizontal space above the depending part 16 of the said chamber, the depending portion 149 of the cover 1& being immersed, and the well 1O will be filled to about the top of the bearings 20 in the sloping chamber. The shafts 19 are then put in motion by means of the gearing on the transverse shaft 32 by mo tive power being applied to the wheel 34:. Steam is injected into the jacket covered space sufficient to keep the mercury warm. The sand, pulp, and water are then poured into the vertical chamber 16 in quantities to suit the capacity of the machine, and by reason of the depending portion 16 of the chamber 16 the auriferous matters are forced down and immersed in the quicksilver. A similar result is also obtained by the depending portion 14 of the cover 14, after which the sand and water will flew up the inclined chamber 11 to the escape waste-apron 11. hen it is understood that the level of the water in the vertical chamber 16 is always maintained above the plane of the escape-apron 11", it will be readily seen that a current will be produced through the machine and the sand will be carried through by such current; but owing to the extreme gravity of the mercury it will always retire to the lowest part of the machine. Hence I employ the agitator-con- Veyers for the purpose of thoroughly mixing the other matters with the mercury.

When it is found necessary to clean the amalgam from the machine for retorting or for any other purpose, the cover 14 may be removed by removing the bolts, and by detachin g the knuckle-joints the horizontal agitators may be removed. It is then an easy matter to clean or repair the machine.

I am aware that prior to my invention amalgamators have been used with rotatable vessels or cylinders in which the amalgam was arranged. Therefore I do not claim such a means for separating gold from pulp, sand, and auriferous matters; but

What I do claim is 1. In an amalgamator, the combination of sectional chambers, the horizontal portion having its under side fluted and provided with a well, the said well being arranged at the junction with the sloping chamber, and designed to hold mercury, of a projection 16 depending downward from the vertical chamber 16 to close proximity with the parallel, horizontal shafts carrying the agitator-conveyers, and a detachable cover for the horizontal chamber having a second depending portion 1& at the obtuse angle of the two sections, which acts as a depressor to moving bodies, substantially as specified.

2. In an amalgamator comprised of sections of vertical, horizontal and sloping chambers, with the mouth of the vertical chamber placed at a distance above the sloping outlet and the horizontal chamber arranged on a lower plane than the said outlet, the combination of a lateral deviation 17 in the vertical chamber, a depending lip or projection 16 on the lower extremity of the said vertical portion and a detachable cover l t on the horizontal portion having a depending part 14" at the junction of the obtuse angle, as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS C. PARK.

\Vitnesses:

GEORGE A. BIssELL, C. S. DOUGLAS.

ICC

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